Summary
The
Project is focused on commissioning, that is, the process of assessing
the health and social wellbeing needs of people living within
a given area and purchasing services to meet those needs in an
effective, efficient and sensitive manner.
This
baseline study was carried out to determine the perception of
the current level of information exchange between communities
and the Northern Health and Social Services Board (also referred
to in this report as the Board or NHSSB), and how responsive decisions
are to people’s needs.
The
perceptions of the current consultative mechanism for information
exchange between communities and the Board varied but overall,
there was perceived to be little regular or sustained consultation
between community groups and the Board. To date there has been
more consultation between voluntary organisations and the Board,
although there were a couple of examples of community groups that
have had direct consultation with the Board.
In
general, the community respondents had not considered health and
social wellbeing as an issue relevant to them. It is recognised
that there is a need for local community groups and community
networks to know what the concerns and needs of the residents
are and to understand how Health and Social Services works, in
order to communicate the needs of the community to the providers
and purchasers of health and social care.
It
was perceived that commissioning was based on the assessment of
need but was influenced by other factors, such as Central Government,
the Health and Social Services (HSS) Executive, demography, the
geography of the area, employment and history ie the way in which
decisions made in earlier periods affects current allocation decisions.
Overall,
community groups were unsure as to how need was assessed and how
the Northern Health and Social Services Board (NHSSB) takes into
account the views and needs of the community. Respondents from
the Board believed that they used a number of methods to ensure
they took community groups’ views into account. These methods
included meeting groups, identifying interest groups who may want
to become involved in specific initiatives, and through workshops
and public consultations at the development stage of strategies.
It
was recommended by many of the respondents that a mechanism needs
to be developed which will build the confidence of local community
groups in articulating their health and social wellbeing concerns.
This could be achieved by developing long term, lasting contacts
among, and between, community groups and networks, voluntary agencies,
statutory agencies and the providers and purchasers of health
and social care services.
To
ensure that information is shared in an appropriate, clear and
understandable way, a consultation structure needs to be put in
place where information can be exchanged and, through which, community
groups and networks may have direct contact with the Board.
The
establishment of a sustainable process of communication between
the Board and the local community networks and groups, will increase
the understanding of community needs and of the decision making
processes thus offering groups an opportunity to influence decisions
in order that they better satisfy local needs.
Through
our better understanding of communities’ and commissioning
agencies’ perceptions of the process, the Project will be
able to create a partnership based on a sustainable process of
communication between the Board and the local community networks
and groups.
The
baseline study concludes with the identification of a range of
developments that could be pursued by the Project and/or individual
Partners to build a sustainable partnership between the Board,
community groups and residents.
An
independent evaluation process will ensure that the Project's
implementation remains focused on the achievement of its aims
and objectives. Through this, the Partners of the Project will
be provided with an independent and objective analysis of those
achievements. This will guide the subsequent development of the
Project and the Partners' engagement in it.
